Bloodlines
by JadeCallista
Summary: Callista, young girly Hunter finding out that she isn t the one she ever thought, when Deacon Frost outlawed Vampire Lord came in her life...
1. Moving to New Orleans

They came back from the hunt. Blade, the dark knight, and Callista, his mentee. He trained her over a year now, and she made a good job.

After loosing her parents at the age of sixteen, Callista was living in the streets for some time, before Blade found her.

Jade had trained Teakwondo and Escrima from an early age. Her parents both worked very hard in their family business. They had a lot of money and fulfilled Callistas every wish, as long as she was busy all day and leaved them alone. Not that they weren´t good loving parents. In the evening they ate dinner together, and talked about the day. Her mother came to Callistas bed before sleeping and read for her. Later, even when Callista was a teenager she always came to her to kiss her good night.

It was a shock when the police told her they were dead by an car accident and Callista had to go to an orphanage. Totally distraught she ran away with nothing but the clothes she wore and found herself homeless in a foreign city. A group of young punks took her to their group and gave her a dry and warm place in a abandoned building. Some time later some members of the clique disappeared. They suspected another gang or the police, but more and more of the young people got lost. One evening when Callista went home from a job, she took to buy food for the group, five young men stopped her in an alley.

"Hey, sweet." they laughed, surrounding her.

Callista tried to seem relaxed and walked through them. The men screamed after her and followed her. When they began to touch her, Callista breathed deeply and tossed them aside. Suddenly their faces morphed. Large fangs showed up. Callista stumbled back and ran, but she had no chance. They caught her. Callista gathered all her courage and fought back, but the men were too strong. Stronger than any man Callista knew before. But she struggled herself free and ran in panic through the streets, directly in the arms of another group of men and women. They pushed Callista in their middle and sheltered her. Callista saw unbelieving how her pursuer turned to ash when her saviours killed them. After the battle the hunters took Callista to their safe-place. They were impressed by her fighting skills even if she needs more training and the tricks. They introduced themselves as vampire hunters and told her that homeless people were fair game for the vampires in the city. Nobody cares about them in the major cities. After what Callista had seen she wasn´t hard to convince they told the truth. So Callista became part of the hunters and some time after Blade saw her large capability and took her as his mentee.

Blade and Callista arrived at their temporarily safe-place. Blades matt black car roared heavy before he turned off the engine. Chen stood up from his computer terminal and welcomed them home.

"How was the hunt tonight? Kicked bloodsuckers ass?"

Blade took his armory from the trunk and handed it over to Whistler, who sat on the rear side of the huge industrial hall.

"Where´s Karen?" Callista asked.

"In the city. Buying new medical stuff for her studies." Chen murmured back on his computer searching the internet for new cases of vampire activity.

Callista went to her room, slipped in new casual clothes, then joined at his desk.

"Found something?" she asked.

"Yeah... think it´s time to move. There are massive homicides that are linked to vampires in New Orleans."

"Fine. It´s getting boring here."

They arrived at New Orleans late in the evening and drove through an industrial park to find an abandoned storage house they could live in while they were here.

It was the end of January and the weather was a cool. It showered and they hurried to get the their stuff insight.

While Chen and Karen unpacked and build up their working places and Whistler took a rest, Blade was anxious to get outside and check the situation. Calli decided to went with him. She took on her black fighting clothes made from tough cotton, made herself up with dark black eye-liner and mascara round her blue eyes and brushed her blond hair. She wasn´t vain, but it was an advantage to look good while fighting vampires. She came into the bars and clubs easily to get information. Blades method was to knock out everyone who got in his way, but Callista was convinced her manner was more effective.

Blade waited impatiently for her.

"Finished with your girlie things? Fine, then we can make a start on the real important stuff. Vampires, remember?" he mocked her.

"Yeah, yeah, let´s go."

They drove in the city and strolled the Bourbon Street up and down, where was a big party every evening. No sign of vampires or Wannabes, but Callista enjoyed the atmosphere and the crowed of people around her. Suddenly she had the strange feeling that someone was watching her. She looked around inconspicuous but saw nothing. The feeling stayed with her until they drove back to the hiding.

Days went on and on and more and more victims of vampires appeared without any hint. Blade went out every night with Calli and every night the feeling of being watched came back to her when they arrived at the city.

After a few weeks Calli was bored hunting with Blade and decided to spent an evening alone. Though they were here for so long, Callista didn´t got the chance to visit the sights of New Orleans, so she went out to lionize the Café Du Monde and the Jackson Square.

It was late in the afternoon, the sun set slowly. Callista disappeared in the hundreds of tourists that surrounded the statue of Andrew Jackson, took a few pictures and at the end of the tour she sat down at the Café Du Monde and ordered a Café au lait, which the Café was famous for. The sun had set completely, it was a cool but dry evening and Calli thought about going to the Bourbon Street to party later that night. She took a sweater out of her big bag and slipped it over, because she began to shiver in the cool wind. The sweater was knee-long and light purple, which was very colourful for her cause the major part of her clothes were black or dark grey. Since she was forced to went away from her home, her clothes were more practically then fashionable. Tonight she wore a tight black leather trousers and a black tank-top under the sweater. Then she took a cigarette and searched for her lighter, thinking not the first time that her bag was too big, and the bigger the bag the more you put into it. At least at this point she behaved like a normal young girl.

When she looked up, the flame of a silver chrome zippo appeared in front of her. She gasped and starred at the man who offered it to her. Usually no one could stalk her.

The guy was in the early thirties, with dark blond tousled hair, casually clothed. Another tourist, she supposed. The Café was very crowded and so he took a seat on her desk, because she was alone. She lit the cigarette and he closed the zippo with a zip and took it back in his trousers.

"Thanks." she murmured, a little bit ashamed that she reacted so scared at his sight. It was this awful feeling being hunted. For gods sake, normally she was the hunter, not the bait. It was eerie.

Callista looked up again and the guy smiled slightly at her. His eyes fixated her. Calli looked down. He was unquestionable good looking. His eyes were cold blue, high cheekbones, dressed casual but expensive. Callista thought that he seemed to look a kind of cruel, ruthless if he wouldn´t have smiled.

"Nice to meet you, finally." he brought the silence.


	2. Investigations

"Nice to meet you, finally." he brought the silence.

Callista frowned. "Finally? Do I have to know you?"

He laughed in a low voice. "I don´t know. Maybe you heard of me. But, in fact, I searched for you so long, Callista DiAsturien."

"I´m sorry. My Name is not DiAsturien, it´s Petersen. Callista Petersen." she corrected him.

"Yes, I know. Petersen, the Fuck. You´re name is DiAsturien. But I guessed that they didn´t told you." he signed.

"You must be mistaken. I don´t know of whom or what you talking about."

He stood up. "I will tell you, but not now. If I did, you wouldn´t believe me. Perhaps you wouldn´t even listen to me at all. But I know you have the best equipment for research. For your own safety: Do it alone."

"For what should I search for?" she asked completely confused.

"Your parents. Or the couple you think that they are your parents. And about you."

Callista came home at midnight. Everybody in the storage house was awake and in action. They adapted their daily routine to the vampires. Awake by night, sleeping at daytime.

On her way back home, Calli thought about the mysterious guy. He must be insane. She would search about it, of course, but she didn´t think she would find anything.

"How was your tour?" Chen asked looking up from his computer screen.

"Fine. Yup. But... I will go to bed now. I´m exhausted. Blade´s still on the hunt?"

"Yeah, he is. It´s sobering. People are dying, but we can´t find anything. It looks like someone laid the bodies there just for us."

"Why?"

"Hmm, look... if there would be a mess of vampires, we would find them, sooner or later. But there is nothing. And if there´s only a few vampires, they are either fucking dumb or they wanted us to come here."

Calli thought about that for a while. "You mean they didn´t even try to obfuscate their activities."

"Right. Look, New Orleans is a big city. With great swamps. Why don´t they dispose the bodies?" Chen explained.

"Why should they want us to be here? Suicide vampires?" Callista laughed.

"I fear not." he signed.

Calli turned to go. "Good night."

"Sleep well, Calli." Chens eyes went back to the screen.

Callista couldn´t sleep. All these riddles. The careless vampires. The crazy guy. Her parents. There must be a link, but she couldn´t get it. It seems the answer was already in her mind, but every time the answer was near, there was this fuzzy grey cloud.

She heard Blade coming home, the sound of the dying engine. It dawns, silence fell over the place. When Calli was sure everybody was asleep, she stood up in silence and tiptoed to the computer desk. It was full of technical equipment, four monitors, all in sleeping mode.

Callista brought one of them to life, opened an internet searching platform.

She wrote: _Petersen, Linda Michael._

3.660.000 results.

She wrote: _Petersen, Linda Michael, 04/06/1956, 07/14/1947._

677.000 results.

She wrote: _Petersen, Linda Michael, 04/06/1956, 07/14/1947, car accident._

121 results.

Callista clicked one of the links.

**Fatal car accident in New York city**

In a car crash this afternoon Michael Petersen and his wife, Linda lost their life.

While driving home from a working appointment, a drunken driver crashed frontal in their car. Both died at the scene of the accident. The man

that drove the other car was brought in the local hospital. Michael Petersen was a known lawyer. Linda Petersen was chief editor of the

magazine Female Ambition. Their sixteen year old daughter disappeared by the message of her parents death.

For information call 555 123 456 or the police 911.

Tears burned in Callistas eyes. It seemed so long ago, but in fact, it was just four years ago. She missed them so much. Six month before her parents died, her beloved grandpa had died, too, and her parents were her supportive. Her whole world seemed to deflate in one blink of an eye.

She sniffed. No, she wasn´t here to mourn. She clicked other links, but no new aspect about her parents or herself. Two hours later her eyes burned from the staring on the screen. Nothing, less then nothing. He had said: "... the couple you think that they are your parents. And about you." What the fuck did he mean. If Michael and Linda weren´t her parents, whose daughter was she? There must be a birth certificate. At the register office of her home town. She didn´t know if the documents where on microfilm, but it was her last chance. With the help of Chens hacking program it was easy to get inside the main computer of the department.

She found the documents: Birth certificate of her parents, certificate of marriage, land registry and...

Callista couldn´t believe her eyes..

""Certificate of adoption.

On 29th December 1994

Michael Petersen and

Linda Petersen, née Smulders,

adopted Callista Callinda, born 31th December 1990""

The rest became blurred. She was adopted? She was almost four years old, when she came to her parents? Why couldn´t she remember the four years with her real parents? At the age of four mustn´t you have some memories?

Callista sat on the desk for hours, starring at the screen. Finally she calmed down and began to think logical again. She printed the document. The printer was hidden under slathers of paper. When Callista tried to move them a little bit to get her document, the whole load began to slip and crashed on the floor. Callista tried to rearrange the stuff when she saw the photo. It was the guy at the café.

And the headline was: _Deacon Frost._


	3. Unanswered questions

Callista felt groggy and absent-minded all day. Karen asked her several times if she had a problem or something, but Calli denied. Callista had chosen to bury her head in the sand and tried to ignore the questions going round and round in her head.

Could it be true? Why haven´t her parents didn´t tell her that she was adopted? Where are her real parents and why did they gave her away? And of course: What interest do Frost have to tell her about it?

She had searched for the name DiAsturien, but there where no useful information on the internet and, that was scaring, when it seemed the site was interesting, it was password protected. The security level was so high, even Chens hightech programs couldn´t crack.

Days passed by, but nothing changed. Blade found dead bodies, but no other signs of vampires. Callista joined him on the hunt, but her thoughts where busy with other questions than the mysterious vampire plague. It was no use, the only one who could answer her questions was Frost and he didn´t tried to meet her again.

After three weeks of waiting Callista couldn´t bear it any more. She told Blade that she would spent another night alone and went directionless through the city. It was cold and dark and it rained a little. She was frozen and wet and lonely. It was Thursday and she was all alone in the old town of New Orleans with the large houses and gardens and trees. Finally she sat down on a low wall.

"Fucking vampire. You wanna talk to me? Come here or leave me in peace forever. Last chance."

It was silent, just the wind in the trees and the light rain in the puddles. Calli sighed and stood up to leave. A laughter sounded behind her. She jumped around, ready to fight.

Deacon strolled near her in the dark.

"Searching for me, sweetness?" he smiled.

"Tell me why you wanted to talk to me." Callista said harsh.

"Calm down, huntress. I´ll tell you everything you wanna know. Come."

He turned to leave. Callista didn´t move.

"Of course I won´t go with you. Are you fucking crazy?"

"If you wanna know, come with me. If not, go play hunting and ask yourself for the rest of your life who you are."

He turned again.

"Why aren´t you just tell me?" she shouted after him.

"Cause you wouldn´t fucking believe me. I´ll show you."

Calli hesitated.

"Huntress... I won´t hurt you." Deacon sighed as if he looses patiences. "Why should I? All this time and effort just to get you in this city. If I wanted to kill you, I could have done it easier, a lot easier. I could have killed you every fucking second."

"You´re crazy, bloodsucker... megalomaniac, arrogant, narcissistic,..." she hissed.

"Quit that." he interrupted her. "I´m all of that.. you don´t have to flatter me." He smiled, but the smile didn´t reched his eyes and he seemed cruel and ruthless. "But above that I´m never breaking my word. I won´t hurt you. Now come on or stop wasting my time."

Finally Callista followed him. There was more to win than to loose. Gaining an inside in the vampires world, perhaps answers to her questions.

A black limousine waited for them. She got on the backseat and slipped on the other seat to let Deacon get in.

Almost soundless the vehicle moved off. The dark empty streets passed by behind the darkened windows.

Deacon remained silent, starring into nowhere. Callista eyed him suspicious. He seemed tense and tired. His eyes were shadowed.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

Without looking at her or even moving he answered. "Erebus. The archives."


	4. The enemy of my enemy is my friend

They arrived an hour later at the huge cast iron gate. Behind it was a large park with old great weeping willows, the branches hanging down to the ground. Callista shivered as the huge gate opened automatic and closed just as silent behind them.

The grey bake stone estate came into sight. Hundreds of years old, always owned and used for one purpose: the conclave of the countries leading vampires.

Every hair on Callis body raised. It wasn´t right that she was here. This was no place for a human. They would detect her as soon as she entered the building.

Before she could speak out loud what she though, the limousine stopped, Deacon climbed out and hold his hand out to her. She was so afraid that she took it without further thinking. He helped her out of the car and led her her into the high entrance hall of Erebus.

Callista hold her breath and tensed up in expectation of the coming attack.

But nothing happens.

"Breathe, sweetness. Everything´s okay." Deacon said mockingly.

"I thought Erebus is restricted for human."

"Yes, it is. No wannabes here, just vampires. The purebloods to reign, the turned to serve." His smile became bitter.

"But why...?" Callista began.

"That´s part of the story, huntress... come on."

They went deeper and deeper in the large, convoluted floors and finally down in the archives. With every step Calli felt more and more trapped.

The archives were separated into two departments. The first one contained just electronically recorded information, the second old documents and historical records. Old yellowed papers and photos. And behind that, high security, the fragments of the vampire bible.

Deacon led her through the first section and past Pearl, the unbelievable fat keeper of the archives. He was so busy with feeding he didn´t even noticed them.

In fact, nobody noticed them. But they had have to do it. Human smells of blood, a sweet heavy smell, irresistible for vampires. This was what Blade told her.

They stopped in front of a floor to ceiling shelf. After a short time of searching, Deacon pulled out a folder totally covered with dust, but didn´t reached it to her but led her further to a group of desks and chairs.

They sat down. Frost opened the folder and reached her an old photo, crinkled and spotted.

Calli looked at it. It was black and white, the picture very pale, but when she looked more precisely, she saw a man and a women. The man was good looking, expensive clothes, high class hair cut.

The woman was... herself.

"That´s... that´s me, Deacon. But how could..." she stumbled.

"No, that´s not you. But the likeness is really intriguing."He pointed at the photo. "Look, her hair is longer, and it´s dark... it was golden brown."

Callista ran her fingers through her hair. "Who is she?"

"She was..." Deacon emphasized. "... your mother. The man on the picture was your father. Her names were Katherine and James DiAsturien."

"How have they died?" Callista ask nearly soundless.

"Fire. They burned down her house."

"Who?"

"Let me tell you a story, okay? If you believe it or not, first listen to it."

Callista nodded.

Deacon leaned back, lighted up a cigarette an handed it over to her, then did the same for himself. Out of the dark a servant came to her table, put down an ashtray , glasses and two carafes. One filled with blood, the other filled with water, Callista hoped.

It was spooky. A vampire serving her refreshments.

When he was gone, Deacon began to speak.

"When I was turned, over two hundred years ago, James DiAsturien was the first man of Gaetano Dragonetti, the Overlord of the Overhouse Erebus. Erebus is the union of all vampire houses of the USA. James was Dragonettis best man, the one the Overlord trusted the most, if he is able to trust someone else. DiAsturien was a House with high honours. Katherine DiAsturien, his wife, was also powerful. Reigning the House together with her husband as equals. Purebloods, both of them. But they have always been human friendly. Stood up for peaceful together, not just co existing in the shadows. And then, twenty years ago, they were expecting a child. A miracle, because a pureblood child birth is happening once in a thousand years. But something happened. The girl that was born was a pureblood, but it hasn´t the dominate vampire features but the recessive. She aged like a human, she could stand the sunlight, she needed no blood. In fact, she could drink and use the blood to get stronger. She seemed human, but she wasn´t. She was faster, stronger than a human, but not as fast and strong like a vampire. And her bruises healed much faster than humans wounds. Nobody had known what will become of her, when she was adult. But her parents loved her with all of her heart. And so, they protected her when the fire broke out. On this day, James had stood up in the council and told the other Lords, that he will proof the existence of vampires to the human. Bloody wars with hunters and other vampire tribes had convinced him that this was the only way to live and exist in future. The Lords refuses, but he wanted to do it without their agreement. He was an unpredictable risk for the council. And so, that night, they decided to kill him and family. James presaged the coming events and removed his four year old daughter to a safe place, an orphanage. James and Katherine died the very same night in the flames."

Deacon ended his story and silenced.

"You are telling me, I´m a pureblood?" Callista asked stunned.

"I´m telling you that you are the only descendant and legal heir of the House DiAsturien." he nodded.

"That can´t be rue. Blade would have noticed... he would have.."

Deacon laughed cruel. "Huh, huntress, don´t be so silly. He knows it. he knew it all the time. Why are you thinking, he made you his mentee? Just because you are so sweet?"

"Because I´m fast and strong and..."

"Yes, you are. Of course, you are, you´re a pureblood. But he took you because he wanted to have you in control. You´re dangerous, sweetness."

"No, that can´t be true. You´re a liar. I will leave now."

Callista turned to go. Frost took her harm rudely to hold her back.

Calli turned round again, looking at him.

"Ask him, if you wanna die. Think about it. Everythings figures."

"Ohhh... okay, assuming that I believe you... why are you telling me that. Why not Dragonetti or someone else. You´re not even a pureblood.."

Deacons eyes shoot flames.

"I didn´t want to insult you." Calli assuaged. "What´s you´re part in this story?"

"My part, huntress. " Frost smiled. "Is simple. You will reclaim your place in the council. But you need a House for this. You can´t just go inside and tell them Hi, here I am."

Calli shook her head in disbelief. "I need a House. Okay. Perhaps I can.."

"No, you can not. There´s a deadline for your induction. You must claim your place before you´re twenty-ones birthday. That´s in a few months."

"So, you´re telling me at the last moment, bloodsucker."

"I am.. sorry, huntress.. you are elusive." Deacon seemed to enjoy the discussion.

"So..." Callista signed. "Probably you will tell me your perfect solution right away. Stop grinning and talk."

"Sweetness, you´re rude. That´s no good. This should be a perfect moment, darling..."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You got the title, I have the House. You wanna go back into the council, you need me. I, on the other hand, got a House and, for fucks sake, I want my place between the other Lords. So, sweetness... Will you marry me?"


	5. Refusal

"Wh... what?" Calli gasped.

"That´s the logical next step. And, of course, the only reason I was looking for you." Frost explained coldly.

"You cold-hearted bastard. You killed all these people just to get me here."

"Of course, darling. I guess it wouldn´t have worked just to send you an invitation." he smiled, ignoring her abuse.

"Do you really think, I will marry you after you killed gratuitously all these humans? And after all the ruthless things you´ve done in all your unlife? Fuck you, bloodsucker." Calli hissed and tried again to leave. This time Deacon didn´t stopped her but leaving too. While walking back through the floors, Calli was always a step ahead, ignoring Deacon.

"Huntress, I don´t want to spoil your enjoyment of sulking, but how do you think you come back to New Orleans?"

"I´ll call a cap." She answered dryly.

Deacon laughed. "You have no idea where you are, didn´t you? How will you call a cap? Erebus is not a sort of official address."

"Oh, okay, then I ask one of the bloodsuckers out there. After all they are my family, huh?" Calli told him cuttingly.

"And you really think anyone believes you? They killed your parents, huntress, why shouldn´t they kill you, too? Nobody would notice. No, sweetheart, you have to demand your dues at her official level. I repeat... You need me."

Calli turned around furious. "I don´t need you. I don´t fucking need you. I will go back and live my life as always. You are the one that relies on me. You.." She pointed at him. "...need...me. You are eaten up with envy and unbounded ambition. You are just another fucking vampire, just a turned one, like anyone else I have killed every night. So, let me go and get out of the town, cause I promise you, I´ll kill you next time I see your fucking face."

She left and Deacon let her go without another word.

After a long long way on foot Callista reached the next housing area and called herself a cap. The sun was already rising and she leaned back on the backseat and closed her eyes. This was a fucking nightmare. Her thoughts run wild. She had to tell Blade everything. It was the first time a human set foot on the holy halls of Erebus. But was she human? What if Blade really knows about her and now realizes that she knows to by now. She was a danger. She was a vampire. He would probably kill her. Or at least jail her till she gets twenty-one. Oh, for gods sake, why does she care about it. She didn´t want to be a fucking bloodsucker and she didn´t want to be Lady DiAsturien or Lady Frost or whatever. She would forget this nightmare right now. Should her parents go to blazes. Perhaps they were already there.

Frost ran to his car in the underground car park. With the tinted windows it was save to drive home even by day. He boiled with indignation. This damn huntergirl rejected him and his offer. He would kill her, hurt her, he would... No, he told himself. He needed her. And he would get her. He always gets what he wants.

Back in his penthouse he called his servant. A young red-headed female human.

"Sir?" she asked and bowed.

"Find Mercury and Quinn and bring them here."he ordered.

"Yes, sir." She bowed again and turned to leave.

"Stop." Deacon commanded. "That can wait. This bitch really ruffled me and you will pay for it. Come."

He led her follow him to his bedroom.

Days past by and Calli ignored the burning unrest striking her. But the doubts went on and on and just a week after her visit at Erebus, she told Blade that she couldn´t work with him any more.

"Please let me go. I will join a local hunter unit." She begged.

"You may go wherever you want. But I don´t understand why." he answered coldly.

"Because I´m not happy any more. Moving from town to town. I´m a young girl. I need friends. I need to party. I need to live my life. I don´t want to waste my life." she lied.

"You think, I´m wasting my life?" Blade said without emotion. Calli didn´t know if he was really so dead hearted or if he just suppressed his feelings.

"No.. yes,.. oh, look, Blade. You spent your whole life hunting vampires. And one day you´ll be dead and... no, I´m sorry. I didn´t meant it. I..."

"Just pack your staff and go." He turned back to work as if she was already gone.

Callista packed her things. She was wistful and relieved at the same time. But everything was better then the chaos of emotions she was going through. By now, Calli was convinced that Deacon told the truth, but that doesn´t meant she would join him. She may be a vampire, but there were good vampires, too, aren´t they. Blade didn´t kill humans and she wasn´t contingent on blood, so she could live like a human.

This very evening she left the hideout. There was a unit of hunters at the outback of the city and there she would stay for now. Soon she would leave, perhaps to LA or NY, some place the life pulsates and she could live like a normal (human) young girl and forget about all this shit.

Calli waited for one of the hunters who promised to fetch her. She went into the direction the car was supposed to come and soon she was alone in the silent dark industrial park. Suddenly she heard voices behind her and turned around. Nothing. She turned back and almost run into a beautiful platinblonde woman. She gasped and made a step back. Faster then she could understand the fist of the woman hit her face and she blanked out.


	6. What are you gonna do?

Callista woke up and found herself lying on the large rear seats of Deacons limo. It was still night outside, so she couldn´t be unconscious for long time. Her face aches badly where Mercurys fist hit her. She tried to sit up, but as she lifted her head stars circled in front of her eyes.

"Keep down." She heard Frosts voice on her left.

Callista got up.

Deacon just grinned, then sighed. "You´re so stubborn. Take these at least. I need you clear brained." He handed her some pills and a glass of water.

"Then your blonde whore shouldn´t have knocked me out. I don´t care at all what you need. Stop the car and let me out, damn bastard of a vampire."

"Oh please, don´t fuss. Did you really think I give up so easily?" He squared his shoulders. "Take the pills, for gods sake. They´ll help."

"And what are you going to do if I won´t cooperate with you after this? You can´t coerce me to marry you." Calli asked annoyed but took the pills. Her head throbbed.

"Of course I can´t. But you have to see everything before you decide."

They kept silent till the car stopped. Deacon got out and went round the car to help Calli out, but Callista preferred to get out alone and to keep distance to him. She knew how charming he could be if he wanted to. If she allowed him to get near her, she may be believing his silky words. In fact, in a crazy way, she liked him. He was good-looking (very very good-looking), he was intelligent, he was humorous. She liked his dry sense of humour. If he wasn´t such a cocky cruel bloodsucker...

He leaded her into a park. Calli realized then it wasn´t a park, but a copious cemetery with expensive tombs and mausoleums. They stopped at a large one. Deacon opened the looked door and let her inside. Her eyes needed some time to habituate in the dim light. It was dusty, but nevertheless it seemed well kept. Someone cares about this mausoleum, but it didn´t seemed to be visited often.

"Here are the graves of the deceased purebloods. Of course not every pureblood have here his grave. The war heroes and martyrs are lying in temples." Deacon explained.

Callista walked along the walls of the building. Every wall three metres long and high, with urn chambers, arranged one above the and one beside the other. She read the names but they were too much to keep one of them. Generations of dead born-vampires. She shivered and went back to Deacon. In this room Deacon was the lesser evil. She wasn´t superstitious, but she could almost feel the souls of the deceased. Maybe it was her own pureblood spirit that sensed her ancestors.

"Where are my parents." She whispered without realizing she confessed to Frost that she believed his story.

"Right there." He whispered back and pointed at a chamber at the right wall. "They didn´t have the ash, because the whole house built down. In the chambers are their personal beloved things.

She went into the showed direction and found the chambers lettered with the names and date of death. James DiAsturien and, she hold her breath, Katherine and Callista DiAsturien. Her fingers moved over the letters. Tears came to her eyes and ran down her face. She felt Deacon behind her. Close to her, his chest touching her back. She didn´t moved, it felt so comforting.

"This is my grave, too." Her couldn´t hear her voice himself, but Deacon understood her.

"They thought you died too. They entombed you with your mother. You should be near her in death."

She turned around. He closed his arms around her and she leaned against him, crying at his shoulder. He caressed her hair and neck. After a felt eternity she broke the embrace.

"Please, I want to leave."

Outside she took a deep breath. Inside it had been airless and she was glad to be away from this place of death and her own grave.

"Let´s go somewhere else to talk." Deacon suggested.

He brought her to his penthouse and they sat down at the sofa. He offered her a drink, Vodka Martini. She took a sip then emptied the glass. Deacon filled it again.

"Please, Deacon, can I get something to eat? I haven´t ate a thing today and I´m so hungry."

"Of course, sweetness. What do you want?"

"Don´t call me that. I´m not your sweetness and not your darling." she corrected him. "Please choose. I´m not in the mood."

Frost ordered some Thai food and sat down next to Callista.

"So, my sweet darling." he grinned. "What are you gonna do?"

"Don´t tease me, Frost. And I told you, I´m not in the mood to choose. I can´t select what to eat and you want me to decide about the rest of my life?"

"You´re right... let me show you around."

His penthouse was large, three bathrooms, swimming pool and jacuzzi. Two sleeping chambers, kitchen and the huge open living room.

"It´s amazing." Callista said astonished.

"In fact, it´s not that great. But it´s enough." he put her off.

"Oh, it´s so wonderful, five minutes in the whirlpool and I´m happy ever after."

Her laughed out loud. "I really love you, Calli. Of course it seems like pure luxury to you. You lived in an abandoned warehouse. And after we ate, you can lie in the pool as long as you want."

"I will come back to that." she answered smiling.

"You didn´t have realized what I tried to tell you at Erebus, huh? You´re rich, Callista, unbelievable wealthy. You´re parents have had great fortune. And it all belongs to you now. You just have to reclaim it."

"You can´t allure me with money, Deac."

"I don´t want to allure you, I want you to understand your opportunities."

The food was served and they ate hungry.

"Okay." Callista said after a while. "Listen. I can´t be a vampire lady. I was a hunter for too long."

"You don´t have to kill. There are other ways. Donors, for example. And even if you bite a human, you don´t have to kill him."

"If I join Erebus I will help killing people." She emphasises. "And drinking blood myself? UUUUHHHH"

"You should taste it. It´s your natural food. And you don´t help killing human, you can help to safe them. Your parents.."

"My parents are dead." Her voice became stern. "They tried to safe people and they killed them. I don´t want to enter my grave in reality."

"You father was rash and too immoderate. Little steps, huntress, and I promise you, you will achieve more than Blade with his private war."

"I´m a traitor if I do this, Deacon."

"A traitor to whom? To the humans? You aren´t one of them. To Blade? He lied to you all the time. He will kill you if he finds out, whatever you may choose."

"How can I marry you. I don´t love you, I don´t even trust you."

"You neither have to love me nor trust me. I don´t want to get married, too. I like my way of life. I won´t be faithful. I won´t be a good husband. I like women, a lot of them. This will be just a convenience marriage. We will make a contract. We will be equal partner. What´s mine is yours and the other way round."

"And how decides in the council? I won´t let you control humans fate. All you want is to reign and dominate. The only person you care about is yourself." Callista won´t lend herself to illusions.

"I will represent the House in Erebus. That´s not negotiable. But we will decide together. I will have no power without you." he soothed her.

"You would do everything, just to claim your place in the council, aren´t you, Deacon?"

He nodded. "Yes, I would. I don´t deny that. Now lie yourself in the jacuzzi and relax, my love. You can sleep in the guestroom."


	7. Dying

She dreamed. She knew it. I was aware of her body lying between the sweated sheets. Nevertheless the flames seemed to burn her skin, transformed it to a black mass of pain. She screamed and screamed and her lungs felt like they would burst every second. But her sleeping body didn´t even took a breathe. She saw her man powdered to ash and in the very last second of her life her only thought was: My little girl, my little girl... and she was full of hope and love and despair. Then it was over.

""

Hot and cold and no air. The couldn´t breathe. The would die. And the pain. Her breast ached unbearable. She fought against the dark and the pressure. Someone screamed in agony. It didn´t stop. The noise was awful.

Water, cold as ice, hit her face, then her body, like a shock. She took a deep redeeming breath. The black cloud dissolved. She looked up. Deacon was over her, holding her tight. They sat in the marmoreal shower in her bathroom. Both soaked to the skin. To say that he looked concerned would be an understatement.

He was pale if a vampire was able to look pale. Callista tried to speak, but she wasn´t able to. She shivered all over her body.

"You nearly died." Deacon told her in a low voice. When she didn´t answered, he turned out the water, wrapped her in a huge fluffy towel and lifted her out of the shower, down an the a bathroom mat. While she sat there, motionless, he rubbed her dry, undressed her from her wet nightshirt, and lifted her up again to carry her to the huge fireside in the living room.

"Callista, please. Tell me what happened. You screamed like you were in agony, and flailed. And, for gods sake, Calli, you didn´t breathe. I thought you was about to die. Tell me what happened." He begged.

"I did." She whispered. "I died."

Finally her tears began to flow. She cried and sobbed. Deacon embraced her, holding her tight, rocking her slowly.

"My mother." Callista stumbled. "I watched her die. In the orphanage, I woke up that night, and I watched her die. She must have send me her thoughts and her pain... oh, it hurt so much. It was too much, I was a young girl and I... I wasn´t able to bear it.. I forgot about it.. and about everything else." Convulsive sobers shook her.

Deacon caressed her hair. "Shhh shhhh, sweetness, everything will be okay. Shhhh."

After a while she calmed and was weighted down with weariness. She huddled up against him and closed her eyes. When Deacon thought she was asleep he stood up.

Callista was awake at once. "No, please, don´t go away."

"I´m not going. I just wanted to get a blanket for you. The towel is wet and you are freezing. Come, I´ll bring you back to bed."

"But, please don´t go." she begged him and tears started to run again. "I can´t be alone. It will come back. The memories and the pain."

He leaded her to his bedroom, in his huge water-bed with the numberless pillows and blankets filled with downs. Vampires are always freezing, so they like the rooms hot and big blankets to get themselves warm.

Callista snuggled down in the sheets and creped in Deacons arms, when he lay down next to her. He switched out the lights. In the darkness she felt his breath on her face, slowly and constantly.

By an impulse she searched his lips with hers. He tasted so good, he felt strong and cool. Her hands run over his chest, and the first time she realized they where both completely naked. She needed to feel him, touch him, wanting him to caress her. To show her that she was alive and not in the dark chamber with all the urns.

Tenderly he pushed her away. "Huntress, don´t. You don´t wanna do this."

"No, please, I want you. Please, Deacon, don´t reject me." Calli pegged to him.

She heard him sigh in the dark. "Oh, sweetness, I wish you would. But you´re out of you´re mind. I may be a bastard, but not as much as this. I would use you."

"Deacon..."

"If you still want me tomorrow morning, I will welcome you in my bed with open arms. But not yet, darling. Sleep now."

Callista closed her eyes, still aroused, but the sleep came fast and deep.


End file.
